Jesus the Promise Fulfiller
Galatians 3:13-14 says, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law having become a curse for us - it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree' - in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith."
Abraham was promised a blessing, a Descendant, and land, and in Galatians 3 we see that Christ is the fulfillment of the 'blessing promise' by bringing salvation to the Jews and Gentiles. Paul quotes the Old Testament saying, "Cursed is everyone that does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, to perform them." Jesus became cursed for us by hanging on the tree so that the blessing of Abraham would be passed on to those who believe through faith.
Paul goes on in vs 16 to say that Christ is also the ultimate fulfillment of the Descendant or Seed promise. Paul is exegeting (interpreting/expounding) the promises to Abraham from Genesis and he tells us that the promised Seed of Abraham had pointed to the Messiah all along, and so Jesus is the fulfillment of that promise as the true Seed of Abraham. Then in chapter 4 we are told that it is not the earthly Jerusalem that is for the true children of Abraham (who Paul identifies in Galatians 3:7, "Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham."), but the heavenly Jerusalem to come is the fulfillment of the promise. In Hebrews 11:9-10 we read that even Abraham was looking for an eternal city, a city, "which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God." The true fulfillment of the land promise to Abraham is the eternal city, the New Jerusalem which Christ secured for us by becoming a curse for us on the cross, and then pouring out the blessings of Abraham through His obedience in our place.
In Christ we see the fulfillment of the promised blessing of Abraham, the promised Seed, and the land promise. Jesus is the true fulfillment of the Abrahamic promises, and in fact, all the promises of the Old Testament find their path to Jesus as Paul said in 2 Corinthians 1:20-22, "For as many are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us. Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge." We see that Christ fulfilled the promises of God, and then He poured out His Spirit on us as a pledge, a down payment of the full blessings that we receive by being in Christ.
Jesus is the true and better Son and Seed of Abraham, He is the true blessing to all nations that can only find salvation in Him, and He is the true Israelite who passed His wilderness journey and fulfilled the law in our place. He is the second and greater Adam that passed the test in the Garden choosing the Father's will over His own. Jesus is the true and better Son of David that did not simply build a temple, but rather He Himself is the true temple as He claimed in John 2. He died and the veil to the Holy of Holies tore signifying that God would not confine His presence to a building ever again. Jesus then tells the woman at the well in John 4 that He is the one that redefines worship (especially Temple worship - the day is that you will not worship on ANY mountain), and that streams of living water would flow from Him fulfilling the vision of Ezekiel's future temple with a river running from the temple bringing life to the world.
At Pentecost the Holy Spirit is poured out and Peter quotes from Joel 2 (a 'last days' prophecy) saying that it had been fulfilled in their midst. Next we see that Jesus, the true and better temple, the presence of God among men, ascended into heaven and sent the Spirit to build us (the church) together into the temple of God - the place where the Spirit of God resides and where the nation's must come to meet with their Creator.
Peter explains this for us in his letter saying, "And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For this is contained in Scripture: "Behold I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone. And he who believes in Him will not be disappointed." This precious value, then, is for you who believe. But for those who disbelieve, "The stone which the builders rejected, this became the very corner stone," and "a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense"; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy." - 1 Peter 2:4-10 (emphasis added) Since Jesus has fulfilled the Old Testament promises, Peter now shows us that all the categories (or "nicknames" if you will) that had once been reserved for Israel have now expanded to all the redeemed. The Holy Spirit is building us into the 'new Temple' of God as living stones because Jesus is the corner stone. The Israelites were the chosen race, a nation of priests, a holy (or set apart) nation, a people for God's own possession, but Peter now expands those promises to us! Because of Christ's fulfillment we are now a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, though we were not a people, NOW WE ARE THE PEOPLE OF GOD! Though we Gentiles had not received mercy, we have now received mercy because Jesus fulfilled the promises and passes the blessings on to all who believe.
Paul expands on this so clearly in Ephesians 2:11-22 "Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh,... remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near; for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit. (emphasis added)
As we trace the promises of the Bible to their fulfillment in Christ, and then see how Jesus has sent the Spirit to build the church (of both Jew and Gentile, Slave and Free, Male and Female etc.) we come to see how the Spirit makes the church (both Jew and Gentile, Slave and Free, Male and Female etc.) the recipients of those blessings. We come to see that though we Gentiles were "strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope without God in the world" Jesus has brought us near by His blood and has made the two (Jew and Gentile) into one new man reconciling both into one body to God through the cross. Jesus fulfilled the promises living the perfect life that we should have, and then He died the death that we should have died. May we not get distracted from Jesus and all that He accomplished for He is 'the cornerstone, ... in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.'
Abraham was promised a blessing, a Descendant, and land, and in Galatians 3 we see that Christ is the fulfillment of the 'blessing promise' by bringing salvation to the Jews and Gentiles. Paul quotes the Old Testament saying, "Cursed is everyone that does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, to perform them." Jesus became cursed for us by hanging on the tree so that the blessing of Abraham would be passed on to those who believe through faith.
Paul goes on in vs 16 to say that Christ is also the ultimate fulfillment of the Descendant or Seed promise. Paul is exegeting (interpreting/expounding) the promises to Abraham from Genesis and he tells us that the promised Seed of Abraham had pointed to the Messiah all along, and so Jesus is the fulfillment of that promise as the true Seed of Abraham. Then in chapter 4 we are told that it is not the earthly Jerusalem that is for the true children of Abraham (who Paul identifies in Galatians 3:7, "Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham."), but the heavenly Jerusalem to come is the fulfillment of the promise. In Hebrews 11:9-10 we read that even Abraham was looking for an eternal city, a city, "which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God." The true fulfillment of the land promise to Abraham is the eternal city, the New Jerusalem which Christ secured for us by becoming a curse for us on the cross, and then pouring out the blessings of Abraham through His obedience in our place.
In Christ we see the fulfillment of the promised blessing of Abraham, the promised Seed, and the land promise. Jesus is the true fulfillment of the Abrahamic promises, and in fact, all the promises of the Old Testament find their path to Jesus as Paul said in 2 Corinthians 1:20-22, "For as many are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us. Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge." We see that Christ fulfilled the promises of God, and then He poured out His Spirit on us as a pledge, a down payment of the full blessings that we receive by being in Christ.
Jesus is the true and better Son and Seed of Abraham, He is the true blessing to all nations that can only find salvation in Him, and He is the true Israelite who passed His wilderness journey and fulfilled the law in our place. He is the second and greater Adam that passed the test in the Garden choosing the Father's will over His own. Jesus is the true and better Son of David that did not simply build a temple, but rather He Himself is the true temple as He claimed in John 2. He died and the veil to the Holy of Holies tore signifying that God would not confine His presence to a building ever again. Jesus then tells the woman at the well in John 4 that He is the one that redefines worship (especially Temple worship - the day is that you will not worship on ANY mountain), and that streams of living water would flow from Him fulfilling the vision of Ezekiel's future temple with a river running from the temple bringing life to the world.
At Pentecost the Holy Spirit is poured out and Peter quotes from Joel 2 (a 'last days' prophecy) saying that it had been fulfilled in their midst. Next we see that Jesus, the true and better temple, the presence of God among men, ascended into heaven and sent the Spirit to build us (the church) together into the temple of God - the place where the Spirit of God resides and where the nation's must come to meet with their Creator.
Peter explains this for us in his letter saying, "And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For this is contained in Scripture: "Behold I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone. And he who believes in Him will not be disappointed." This precious value, then, is for you who believe. But for those who disbelieve, "The stone which the builders rejected, this became the very corner stone," and "a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense"; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy." - 1 Peter 2:4-10 (emphasis added) Since Jesus has fulfilled the Old Testament promises, Peter now shows us that all the categories (or "nicknames" if you will) that had once been reserved for Israel have now expanded to all the redeemed. The Holy Spirit is building us into the 'new Temple' of God as living stones because Jesus is the corner stone. The Israelites were the chosen race, a nation of priests, a holy (or set apart) nation, a people for God's own possession, but Peter now expands those promises to us! Because of Christ's fulfillment we are now a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, though we were not a people, NOW WE ARE THE PEOPLE OF GOD! Though we Gentiles had not received mercy, we have now received mercy because Jesus fulfilled the promises and passes the blessings on to all who believe.
Paul expands on this so clearly in Ephesians 2:11-22 "Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh,... remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near; for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit. (emphasis added)
As we trace the promises of the Bible to their fulfillment in Christ, and then see how Jesus has sent the Spirit to build the church (of both Jew and Gentile, Slave and Free, Male and Female etc.) we come to see how the Spirit makes the church (both Jew and Gentile, Slave and Free, Male and Female etc.) the recipients of those blessings. We come to see that though we Gentiles were "strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope without God in the world" Jesus has brought us near by His blood and has made the two (Jew and Gentile) into one new man reconciling both into one body to God through the cross. Jesus fulfilled the promises living the perfect life that we should have, and then He died the death that we should have died. May we not get distracted from Jesus and all that He accomplished for He is 'the cornerstone, ... in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.'
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